Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Psychology of 97 reproduction or direct reinforcement. In addition to the observation of behavior, learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments, a process known as vicarious reinforcement. The theory expands on traditional behavioral theories, in which behavior is governed solely by reinforcements, by placing emphasis on the important roles of various internal processes in the learning individual. Social learning theory integrates behavioral and cognitive theories of learning, in order to provide a comprehensive model to account for the wide range of learning experiences that occur in the real world. Key tenets of social learning theory are: Learning is not purely behavioral, rather, it is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context; learning can occur by observing a behavior and by observing the consequences of the behavior (vicarious reinforcement); learning involves observation, extraction of information from those observations, and making decisions about the performance of the behavior (observational learning or modeling). Thus, learning can occur without an observable change in behavior; reinforcement plays a role in learning but is not entirely responsible for learning; the learner is not a passive recipient of information. Cognition, environment, and behavior all mutually influence each other (reciprocal determinism). Social learning theory draws heavily on the concept of modeling, or learning by observing a behavior. Bandura outlined three types of modeling stimuli: Live model in which an actual person is demonstrating the desired behavior; Verbal instruction in which an individual describes the desired behavior in detail and instructs the participant in how to engage in the behavior; and Symbolic in which modeling occurs by means of the media, including movies, television, Internet, literature, and radio. Stimuli can be either real or fictional characters. Exactly what information is gleaned from observation is influenced by the type of model, as well as by a series of cognitive and behavioral processes. Attention- in order to learn, observers must attend to the modeled behavior. Attention is impacted by the characteristics of the observer (e.g., perceptual abilities, cognitive abilities, arousal, past performance) and characteristics of the behavior or event (e.g., relevance, novelty, affective valence, and functional value). Retention- in order to reproduce an observed behavior, observers must be able to remember features of the behavior. Again, this process is influenced by observer characteristics (cognitive capabilities, cognitive rehearsal) and event characteristics (complexity). Reproduction- to reproduce a behavior, the observer must organize responses in accordance with the model. Observer characteristics affecting reproduction include physical and cognitive capabilities and previous performance. Motivation- the decision to reproduce (or refrain from reproducing) an observed behavior is dependent on the motivations and expectations of the observer, including anticipated consequences and internal standards. An important factor in social learning theory is the concept of reciprocal determinism. This notion states that just as an individual’s behavior is influenced by the environment, the environment is also influenced by the individual’s behavior. In other words, a person’s behavior, environment, and personal qualities all reciprocally influence each other. © 2015 Achieve Page 70